MANILA: With its dream start now just a memory, Mahindra has set its sights on a bigger prize.
The Enforcers led from start to finish on Sunday night and ripped Blackwater, 97-88, to get back on the winning track and inch closer to their franchise’s first playoff appearance after taking a piece of second place in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
James White pumped in 23 points and had 19 rebounds and LA Revilla returned from sick bay to hold the Mahindra offense together with 10 assists as the Enforcers snapped a two-game losing streak to rise to 5-2 overall.
The win also enabled the Enforcers to keep idle tournament leader TNT KaTropa within striking distance and Mahindra stayed in the unning for a top four berth that stakes a twice-to-beat advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
“We really just worked on focusing on what made us 4-0 and worked on our mistakes (in losing the previous two games),” said Mahindra assistant coach Chris Gavina, who also drew a career-high four points from Manny Pacquiao, the boxing icon and Senator who is listed as the team’s head coach.
“The team just improved on its mistakes in the last two (losses),” Gavina said.
Mahindra had started the tournament with four straight wins — a franchise-best mark — and would obviously be more delighted if it can finish the conference with a flurry, since it would mean advancing to the playoffs for the first time in its two seasons in the league.
Blackwater reeled to its fifth straight defeat with the prospect of advancing past the eliminations again looking bleak for the 1-6 Elite.
The Elite got import Eric Dawson back from a back injury, and the NBA veteran clearly still wasn’t even near 100% shape after struggling to shoot just 15 points and snare down 10 rebounds.
Carlo Lastimosa led the Elite with 17 points coming off the bench. Blackwater continued to miss starting center JP Erram, who suffered a knee injury two games ago.
So in control was Mahindra that Gavina had the luxury of putting Pacquiao back in the game with 2:21 left and the outcome already settled after KG Canaleta scored on a breakaway tomahawk dunk for 97-79.
It was clear that the entire team was egging Pacquiao to improve on his point production, and when the eight-division world boxing champion managed to put up another shot, hit nothing but net from the three-point line.
Blackwater managed to close out with eight unanswered points to make the final score close.
Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra kept in step with the Enforcers after pulling out a 101-87 decision of Rain or Shine in the nightcap.
Justin Brownlee scored 31 points, had 13 rebounds and seven assists, while LA Tenorio scattered 15 and had nine feeds in another brilliant stint at the point as the Gin Kings bounced back from a heartbreaking double overtime loss to San Miguel to also be at 5-2.
Rain or Shine was inconsistent all night and dropped to a level 3-3 with the loss, its chances of finishing in the top four after the elimination round taking a massive hit.
Dior Lowhorn scored just 10 points for the Elasto Painters, who are looking to win this tournament to be able to win back-to-back titles for the first time for the franchise.
But qualifying in the bottom half of the eight-team field that will advance will certainly make life hard for the Painters.
“It was a tough one, nothing comes easy with Rain or Shine,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone told reporters later after also drawing 19 points from Sol Mercado and 14 from Japeth Aguilar.
Rain or Shine was so out of form that only Lowhorn, from among coach Yeng Guiao’s starters, finished in twin digits.
Jeff Chan led the Painters with 19 points, with Jericho Cruz also coming off the bench to shoot 11. Paul Lee had just seven points.
The Enforcers led from start to finish on Sunday night and ripped Blackwater, 97-88, to get back on the winning track and inch closer to their franchise’s first playoff appearance after taking a piece of second place in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
James White pumped in 23 points and had 19 rebounds and LA Revilla returned from sick bay to hold the Mahindra offense together with 10 assists as the Enforcers snapped a two-game losing streak to rise to 5-2 overall.
The win also enabled the Enforcers to keep idle tournament leader TNT KaTropa within striking distance and Mahindra stayed in the unning for a top four berth that stakes a twice-to-beat advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
“We really just worked on focusing on what made us 4-0 and worked on our mistakes (in losing the previous two games),” said Mahindra assistant coach Chris Gavina, who also drew a career-high four points from Manny Pacquiao, the boxing icon and Senator who is listed as the team’s head coach.
“The team just improved on its mistakes in the last two (losses),” Gavina said.
Mahindra had started the tournament with four straight wins — a franchise-best mark — and would obviously be more delighted if it can finish the conference with a flurry, since it would mean advancing to the playoffs for the first time in its two seasons in the league.
Blackwater reeled to its fifth straight defeat with the prospect of advancing past the eliminations again looking bleak for the 1-6 Elite.
The Elite got import Eric Dawson back from a back injury, and the NBA veteran clearly still wasn’t even near 100% shape after struggling to shoot just 15 points and snare down 10 rebounds.
Carlo Lastimosa led the Elite with 17 points coming off the bench. Blackwater continued to miss starting center JP Erram, who suffered a knee injury two games ago.
So in control was Mahindra that Gavina had the luxury of putting Pacquiao back in the game with 2:21 left and the outcome already settled after KG Canaleta scored on a breakaway tomahawk dunk for 97-79.
It was clear that the entire team was egging Pacquiao to improve on his point production, and when the eight-division world boxing champion managed to put up another shot, hit nothing but net from the three-point line.
Blackwater managed to close out with eight unanswered points to make the final score close.
Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra kept in step with the Enforcers after pulling out a 101-87 decision of Rain or Shine in the nightcap.
Justin Brownlee scored 31 points, had 13 rebounds and seven assists, while LA Tenorio scattered 15 and had nine feeds in another brilliant stint at the point as the Gin Kings bounced back from a heartbreaking double overtime loss to San Miguel to also be at 5-2.
Rain or Shine was inconsistent all night and dropped to a level 3-3 with the loss, its chances of finishing in the top four after the elimination round taking a massive hit.
Dior Lowhorn scored just 10 points for the Elasto Painters, who are looking to win this tournament to be able to win back-to-back titles for the first time for the franchise.
But qualifying in the bottom half of the eight-team field that will advance will certainly make life hard for the Painters.
“It was a tough one, nothing comes easy with Rain or Shine,” Ginebra coach Tim Cone told reporters later after also drawing 19 points from Sol Mercado and 14 from Japeth Aguilar.
Rain or Shine was so out of form that only Lowhorn, from among coach Yeng Guiao’s starters, finished in twin digits.
Jeff Chan led the Painters with 19 points, with Jericho Cruz also coming off the bench to shoot 11. Paul Lee had just seven points.
